ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Cabinet
Cabinet approves Cadre Review of 8 organized Group 'A' Services in Railways
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for Cadre Review of 8 organized Group 'A' Services in Railways namely Indian Railway Accounts Service , Indian Railway Personnel Service , Indian Railway Traffic Service , Indian Railway Service of Engineers , Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers , Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, Indian Railway Stores Service , Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers .
Cabinet has also approved encadrement of the post of Member a cadre post for IRPS and re-designation of the posts of Director General , Director General  and Director General  as Member, Member  as Director General  respectively.
This Cadre Review was pending since 2012 and will benefit 900 officers of these services.
Prime Minister's Office
Phone call between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and H.E. Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a phone call today with H.E. Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal.
The Prime Minister recalled the State Visit of H.E. Mr Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal to India in February.
The two leaders discussed the state of COVID-19 pandemic and the steps being taken by both countries to control its health and economic impact. The Prime Minister commended PM Costa for his effective handling of the crisis.
The leaders noted that proactive national measures were helpful in containing the spread of the virus. They offered all possible help to each other in dealing with the situation, and agreed to collaborate on research and innovation aimed at fighting COVID-19.
The Prime Minister thanked PM Costa for extending validity of visas of Indian travellers to Portugal who could not return because of the lockdown. Prime Minister Costa expressed his appreciation for the facilitaiton provided by Indian authorities to Portuguese citizens in India.
The leaders agreed to remain in touch and consult each other on the evolving dimensions of the crisis as well as the post-Covid context.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
India to become Aatmanirbhar in Diammonium Phosphate 
Mining in Senegal and Production of DAP will be done in India
10 LMT DAP and NPK to be manufactured
As part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative to promote self-sufficiency in Fertilisers, Government of India has been advising and supporting the Indian fertiliser companies to strengthen their backend supply chain. Given the nation’s high dependence on raw material like rock phosphate and phosphoric acid, India plans to secure its supplies and hedge against price rises by expanding its footprint in mineral-rich countries through investments and multi-year import deals.
Towards this, Coromandel International Ltd, India’s leading phosphatic fertiliser player, today formalized the acquisition of 45% equity share in Baobab Mining and Chemicals Corporation , a rock phosphate mining company based in Senegal. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya presided over the event wherein officials from BMCC handed over the acceptation letter from the Government of Senegal to Coromandel.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister stated that “India is strengthening its raw material supply security by investing in mineral rich geographies. Government of India has been partnering with the industry to enable such investments to achieve supply security goals for meeting the country’s fertiliser needs. We are committed to ensure availability of fertilisers for our farmers and will continue to work towards ramping up domestic production and establishing partnerships with other countries”.
Dr. Mandaviya further said, “India enjoys cordial bilateral relations with Senegal, which is one of the leading suppliers of phosphoric acid to India. I hope that the investment in the rock mines in Senegal will be mutually beneficial for both the nations and will further strengthen our friendship. The mining will be done in Senegal and production of DAP will be done in India. 10 LMT of Diammonium Phosphate  and Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium  will be manufactured”.
Coromandel’s Executive Vice Chairman, Shri Arun Alagappan thanked Government of India for its continuous guidance and encouragement towards establishing backward linkages for key raw materials for fertilisers. He said that “the investment in BMCC will secure up to one-third of our rock phosphate requirement, diversify our sourcing base and drive self-sufficiency in our operations. We will continue to invest towards achieving Atma Nirbhar Bharat’s vision for building supply security in phosphatic fertilisers.”
Ministry of Steel
Union Steel Minister calls upon the Private Steel Sector Companies to contribute towards the Target of 500 Million Tonnes of Green and Clean Steel Capacity in the Country in the 25 Years of the Immortal Period
A meeting under the Chairmanship of Union Minister of Steel, Shri Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, was held in New Delhi on 20th April, 2022 with stakeholders of Indian steel industry. During the meeting Steel companies briefed the Minister about their future roadmap of expansion to achieve the production and capacity targets set by the National Steel Policy 2017. Senior officials from TATA, AMNS, JSW, JSPL, JSL and representative from steel producer associations like Indian Steel Association , All India Induction Furnace Association , Furnace Steel Association of India , Alloy Steel Producers Association of India , Steel producer associations and senior officials from the Ministry of Steel were also present.
The Minister expressed satisfaction and confidence that India is on track to achieve its installed capacity of 300 million tonnes by 2030-31. Called upon the private steel sector companies to contribute towards the target of 500 million tonnes of green and clean steel capacity in the country in the 25 years of the immortal period.
Availability of all resources and encouraged to work on Forward Backward Integration in a planned manner. The Steel Minister mentioned that the companies should focus on achieving Government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in specialty steel and should produce and export more value-added steel. He urged the companies to keep in view the target of becoming carbon neutral by 2070. Accordingly, usage of scrap and plastic waste in steel making should increase multi-folds in the coming years. The Minister requested to major private sector steel companies and steel producer associations to take the advantage of Production Linked Incentive  Scheme for Specialty Steel launched by the Ministry of Steel.
Prime Minister's Office
Bengaluru has a very deep bond with nature including trees and lakes: PM
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said that Bengaluru has a very deep bond with nature including trees and lakes.
In a reply to the tweet threads by Nature lover, Gardener and Artist, Smt Subhashini Chandramani about the detailed description of diverse collection of trees in Bengaluru, the Prime Minister also urged people to share others to showcase such aspects of their towns and cities.
The Prime Minister tweeted;
“This is an interesting thread on Bengaluru and it’s trees. Bengaluru has a very deep bond with nature including trees and lakes.
I would also urge others to showcase such aspects of their towns and cities. It would be an interesting read.”
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
8th batch of IICA Certified CSR Professional Programme inaugurated virtually
The School of Business and Environment  of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs  conducted a virtual inaugural event of the 8th batch of IICA Certified CSR Professional Programme here today.
The chief guest of the event, Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, delivered the keynote address on the theme of "Bharat at 75: The Role of CSR". He shared his vision of how CSR can play a vital role in the education sector, which he said is the most important equation in the world: E=F . He also focused on five Mashelkar agendas for effective CSR: integration, innovation, inclusion, investment and impact measurement. He emphasized on the need to ensure equal access to resources and opportunities for all sections of society, especially the rural and marginalized communities. He also stressed on the need to balance the investment of CSR funds across different sectors and regions, and to leverage technology for value creation and social impact. He urged the corporates to pitch their CSR initiatives where they are actually needed and to measure their outcomes using both qualitative and quantitative metrics. He concluded his speech by requesting everyone to look at the picture of Bharat at 75, not India at 75.
Shri N.M. Prusty shared his insights on the strategic approach to CSR: why, where and how. He explained how CSR can be aligned with the business goals and social needs through a proper need assessment and stakeholder engagement and also suggested how CSR can enhance employee relations, customer loyalty and brand reputation. Dr. Garima Dadhich provided an overview of the IICA Certified CSR Professional Programme and importance of nurturing the CSR Professional in today’s rapidly changing age of responsibility. She highlighted the importance of CSR in the current scenario and how IICA aims to create a pool of competent CSR professionals who can contribute to the social and economic development of the country. She also shared the message from Shri Praveen Kumar, Director General & CEO, IICA and congratulated the participants for joining this programme. The event ended with a blackboard LMS session by the Chief Programme Executive, who familiarized the participants with the online learning management system used for delivering the nine months online programme. The inaugural event was attended by about 50 participants who were middle to senior level corporate, government, academia, and NGOs representatives.
The IICA Certified CSR Professional Programme is a nine-month online course that aims to equip the participants with the knowledge, skills and attitude required for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating CSR projects and programmes. The programme covers various aspects of CSR such as legal framework, policy guidelines, standards, best practices, reporting, communication and stakeholder management. The programme also provides exposure to various thematic areas such as education, health, environment, livelihoods, gender equality and disaster management.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Zimbabwe for cooperation in the field of geology, mining and mineral resources
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding  between India and Zimbabwe for cooperation in the field of geology, mining and mineral resources. The MoU was signed on 3rd November 2018 at Harare, Zimbabwe.
Salient features:
The objectives of the MoU are, exchange of information on resources, laws and policy, organization of seminars to exchange views on development strategies, encouragement of transfer of technologies between the Parties, promotion of value addition and opportunities for investment in the mining sector. These provisions, will enable taking up of activities like documentation, dissemination and would serve the objective of innovation.
Benefits:
The MoU will provide an institutional mechanism between India and Zimbabwe for cooperation in the identified fields.
Ministry of Defence
DAC Approves Procurement of Equipment Worth Rs 9,100 Crores
The Defence Acquisition Council , chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, met here today and accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces valued at over Rs 9,100 crores.
Pursuing the goal of indigenisation and self-reliance, the DAC approved procurement of two Regiments of Akash Missile Systems under 'Buy ' category from M/s BDL. The Missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles and will include seeker technology, possess 360 degree coverage and will be of compact configuration with reduced signature. The upgraded Akash Weapon System is operationally critical equipment which will provide protection to vital assets.
The DAC also accorded approval for progressing Design and Development of Individual Under Water Breathing Apparatus  for T 90 Tanks. Developed by DRDO Lab DEBEL, the IUWBA is used by the crew of Tanks as a safety gear and is required by the Tank crew for emergency escape when negotiating water obstacles while deep fording. The DAC also accorded approval for Design and Development of Test Equipment for Guided Weapons System of T 90 Tank. The equipment is being developed by DRDO and will give an indigenous solution to the Test Equipment used for checking the Guided Weapon System of Tank T 90. The equipment earlier procured from foreign OEMs, has been developed indigenously and is in pursuit of the Government’s 'Make in India' initiative.
Ministry of Finance
PFMS Performance Review Meeting: Emphasis on timely data exchange by States with PFMS
Mumbai, 18 July 2022
Public Financial Management System  Division, Ministry of Finance held a Bank Performance Review Meeting and a meeting with State Governments as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav at Taj Santa Cruz, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, T1 in Mumbai today. Additional CGA, PFMS Division, Office of Controller General of Accounts, Department of Expenditure, Dharitri Panda chaired the meeting.
A detailed discussion with the State Governments was held on issues related to new procedure of release of funds under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Treasury Integration with PFMS. Emphasis was made on timely and correct data exchange by the States with PFMS to ensure accurate and reliable financial reporting and to ensure that there was no float in system.
The Bank Review Meeting stressed on major Key Performance Indictors  and Single Nodal Accounts  issues so as to make the banking systems more adaptive for new changes. Jt.CGA, PFMS Division, New Delhi, Amitabh Tripathi, technical team of NIC-PFMS and State Finance Officials of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan also attended the meeting. 13 major Banks i.e. Bank of Maharashtra, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, HDFC bank, ICICI Bank, RBL bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, Central Bank of India, Bank of India, Punjab & Sind Bank, Yes Bank and IndusInd Bank, participated in the banking review.PIB Mumbai | DL/DR
Follow us on social media: @PIBMumbai /PIBMumbai /pibmumbai pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com
(Visitor Counter : 689
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Post-COVID India will emerge more confident and gain esteem in the world arena: Dr.Jitendra Singh
Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that Post-COVID India will emerge more confident and gain esteem in the world arena.In an interview to a private TV channel, Dr Jitendra Singh said, notwithstanding all the apprehensions and anticipations at this hour of crisis, he is confident that six months later from today, the world will look up to India with respect and seek to engage with us. Not only this, he said, India will also emerge as a safe destination for business and trade.
Dr Jitendra Singh also observed that early lockdown announced by Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi had helped India to train itself for the new norms of Post-COVID world.
When specifically asked that since he is In-Charge of North Eastern region which usually depends on tourism, what would be the effect of COVID pandemic, Dr Jitendra Singh replied that North East will rather gain in tourism and may start attracting tourists from Europe and other western countries as well because while most of the tourist resorts in those countries have been heavily afflicted by Corona, it is the North Eastern region of India which remains relatively Corona-free and some of the most popular tourist destinations like Sikkim did not have even a single Corona positive case throughout.
As for business and trade, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is an opportunity for India to give impetus to its “Make in India” mission. In this regard, he cited the example of Bamboo which involves a business of Rs. 5000 to 6000 crore every year and a large proportion of Agarbatti and other bamboo items were hitherto being imported from other countries. Similarly, he said, our Pharma industry has already received a boost and even in the context of COVID-19, we are heading towards making drugs and vaccines which would also come handy for export.
When asked about the recent Domicile notification issued for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is an extension of the process which started on 5th of Aug 2019 and is now reaching its logical conclusion. The future generations, he said, will realize the positive outcomes of this decision.
<><><><><>
VG/SNC
(Visitor Counter : 622
Ministry of Railways
National Rail & Transportation Institute extends last date for application to its BBA, BSc, B Tech, MBA and MSc Programmes for Academic year 2021-22
National Rail & Transportation Institute , the Deemed to be University established by Ministry of Railways in Vadodara, has extended the last date for application to its BBA, BSc, B Tech, MBA and MSc Programmes for Academic year 2021-22 in view of the latest schedule of class XII examination results, JEE Mains, University undergraduate results and the calendar of admissions and academic session announced by AICTE and UGC.
According to Ms Alka Arora Misra, Vice Chancellor of NRTI, the date has been extended taking into account the problems of so many students who have not only been disrupted by Covid but also affected by the changes in the dates of class XII examination results, University graduation results, JEE exam schedule and regulatory notifications. The last date to apply for the BBA, BSc, MSc and MBA programs will now be Aug 21, 2021, and that for B. Tech. programmes to Sep 15, 2021, giving students adequate time to evaluate their options and apply for the prestigious programmes of NRTI.
Students can apply, and register for the Entrance Test, online at www.nrti.edu.in. Only online applications are accepted.
Revised dates to apply:
- BBA, BSc, MSc and MBA programs : Aug 21, 2021
· B. Tech. programmes to Sep 15, 2021.
List of Programmes for AY 2021-22:
- Undergraduate programmes
- BBA Transportation Management
- BSc Transportation Technology
- B.Tech. Rail Infrastructure Engineering
- B. Tech. Rail Systems and Communication Engineering
- B. Tech.Mechanical and Rail Engineering to be offered at IRIMEE, Jamalpur
· Postgraduate programmes
-
- MBA Transportation Management
- MBA Supply Chain Management
- MSc Transport Technology and Policy
- MSc Transport Information Systems and Analytics
- MSc Railway Systems Engineering & Integration

· Postgraduate diploma programmes
-
- PGDM Transportation/Logistics
- PGDM Transport Infrastructure Development & Financing/ Project Management
Contact: info@nrti.edu.in
The admission to BBA, BSc and Postgraduate courses is done based on national admission test conducted by NRTI in various centres across the country, while admission to the B Tech programmes is based on JEE Mains score. Last year, more than 7,000 students competed for 425 seats in the Institute. The Institute has an eminent Board which includes two serving Directors of IITs, prominent academics and industry leaders, and is chaired by the Chairman of Indian Railways who is also the Chancellor of the University.
The Institute offers high quality Rail & Transportation focussed programmes andhas international collaborations with some of the top Universities in the world including University of Birmingham, UC Berkeley and Cornell. The first batch of undergraduate students of the BBA and BSc programmes graduating this year have been placed with majorIndian and MNC companies including Aditya Birla Group, Reliance Group, Adani Group, L&T, Mahindra Group, Hindustan Unilever, Siemens, KEC International and other leading organizations.
President's Secretariat
President's Ram Navami greetings
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind in his message on the eve of Ram Navami has said: -
“On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all the fellow citizens.
Ram Navami is an auspicious occasion to recall the ideals of Lord Ram and apply them in our lives. His life inspires us to follow the sublime values of virtue, tolerance, kindness and fraternity. Our lives be guided by these eternal values while following our duties.
Let us dedicate ourselves to follow the path shown by Lord Ram and resolve to build a glorious nation.”
Please click here to see the President's message
Ministry of Education
Significant Increase in number of universities and colleges in the country during the last five years
As per “All India Survey on Higher Education”, a portal based online survey conducted annually by Ministry of Human Resource Development, there has been significant increase in the number of universities and colleges listed in AISHE during the last five years. Details are given as under:
|
|
Year
|
|
Total No. of Universities
|
|
Total No. of Colleges
|
|
No. of State Private Universities
|
|
No. of State Public Universities
|
|
2012-13
|
|
667
|
|
35525
|
|
122
|
|
292
|
|
2013-14
|
|
723
|
|
36634
|
|
153
|
|
309
|
|
2014-15
|
|
760
|
|
38498
|
|
181
|
|
316
|
|
2015-16
|
|
799
|
|
39071
|
|
197
|
|
329
|
|
2016-17
|
|
864
|
|
40026
|
|
233
|
|
345
Also, there has been increase in both Private Colleges and Government Colleges listed in AISHE during the last five years. The details  are given below:
|
|
Year
|
|
Private Colleges
|
|
Government Colleges
|
|
2012-13
|
|
20407
|
|
6938
|
|
2013-14
|
|
22100
|
|
7230
|
|
2014-15
|
|
26567
|
|
7885
|
|
2015-16
|
|
27679
|
|
7988
|
|
2016-17
|
|
28675
|
|
8177
This information was given by the Minister of State , Dr. Satya Pal Singh today in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
Ministry of Defence
INDIAN ARMY CELEBRATES 75TH INFANTRY DAY
The 75th Infantry Day to commemorate the contributions of Infantry, the largest fighting arm of the Indian Army was celebrated on 27 October 2021. This day has a unique significance for the Nation, as it was on this day in 1947 that Infantrymen from Indian Army, led by 1 SIKH, landed at Srinagar Airfield and saved the State of J&K from a ruthless and treacherous Pakistani invasion. The Infantry since time immemorial has displayed fortitude, indomitable resoluteness and dogged determination all through its chequered history. The fighting spirit of Indian Army’s versatile ‘Infantry’ has always been appreciated by all over the world.
As part of the Infantry Day celebrations, a ‘Wreath Laying’ ceremony was held at National War Memorial to honour the fallen heros of the Infantry, who made the supreme sacrifice on various battlefields in service of the Nation. General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff, General MM Naravane, Chief of Army Staff, Colonels of the Infantry Regiments and other senior officers laid wreaths on this solemn occasion. Three decorated veterans of Indo Pak War 1971, namely Major RK Arora, VrC , Subedar  Nand Ram, VrC  and Grenadier  Amrit, VrC  also laid wreaths on behalf of veterans of the Infantry.
In his message to all Infantrymen on this day, Director General of Infantry exhorted them to rededicate themselves to the core values of bravery, sacrifice, selfless devotion to duty and professionalism, and to remain steadfast in their resolve to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Country.
_________________________________________________________________
SC/VBY/VKT
(Visitor Counter : 2174